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STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE Docks on DVD in February

Fourteen years after its first – and only – disc release in the North America, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine returns from the Gamma Quadrant with a long-awaited second run on DVD, with all seven seasons hitting store shelves on February 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEXL1Jw0E3U

Currently listed for preorder at Amazon at an MSRP of $144.99, this is certainly expected to drop as we approach the February release – and will definitely be a more cost-effective buy than the original sets ever were. (As of this writing, the full-series collection from 2003 is priced over $329 at Amazon.)

For those of you in the USA who have waited to pick up the Deep Space Nine collection due to the high price point, this upcoming collection certainly seems to be a more affordable option. And assuming it follows the trend of CBS’s other recent DVD reissues, such as The Next Generation and Enterprise (due in January), the packaging is likely to be much more user-friendly and durable, too.

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The original Deep Space Nine DVDs. (Image via eBay)

As with previous Trek reissues, we have no expectation of additional content or inclusion of the various Best Buy-exclusive bonus content issued with the 2003 DVDs – these are almost certainly to be repeated pressings of the same 2003 discs.

There’s no cover art yet available for this new set, but as soon as it’s made public we’ll make sure you get to see it right here – and hopefully, a follow-up Voyager set will follow later in 2017.

If you’re in the market for DS9 on DVD, you’ve waited long enough: preorder now at Amazon USA or Amazon Canada.

Cracking Open THE RODDENBERRY VAULT With Roger Lay

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Blu-ray producer Roger Lay, Jr.

There have certainly been a lot of Star Trek home media releases this year – from reissues of The Next Generation and The Original Series to Nick Meyer’s Wrath of Khan Director’s Cut, Star Trek Beyond, and the just-debuted Animated Series collection – but there’s one Blu-ray set right around the corner that’s had classic Trek fans buzzing all summer.

Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault first made a splash back at San Diego Comic Con in July, where Mike and Denise Okuda, Rod Roddenberry, and our friend Roger Lay, Jr., surprised fans with this long-in-process recovery effort of thousands of cans of Original Series film reels, hunting for special secrets buried in the archives.

At the annual Las Vegas Official Star Trek Convention in August, the team was joined by other project contributors, offering a lot more detail about what this new Blu-ray set was going to be all about – while also working hard to set fans’ expectations for this release, coming December 1 in Germany, December 5 in the UK, and December 13 in North America.

We had a chance to catch up with producer Roger Lay, Jr., at the Star Trek: Mission New York convention back in early September to talk about this huge undertaking, and seek out answers to questions we’ve seen from many around the web about this fascinating project!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBSPieZqYM

TREKCORE: It’s been said that this project has been going on for something like nine years – what’s taken so long?

ROGER LAY, JR.: I think the reason it took so long is that there wasn’t really a structure in place early on. You have to remember that if you go back seven, eight years ago, that’s when they were working on other projects – like the TOS remastering, and then the Next Gen restoration – so those were the priority for CBS at the time.

They knew this old footage was there, though, and was available, but they had to figure out a methodology to deal with it – they just didn’t have the ability to focus on it full time since Mike and Denise Okuda were working on the other restorations, and Phil Bishop and the entire CBS production team was really busy on the other stuff they were doing.

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Roger Lay (standing) at the Mission New York RODDENBERRY VAULT panel – with Trevor Roth and Rod Roddenberry.

It was a matter of finding the right time. Once they decided they were going to take the leap of faith and start looking through this stuff, they didn’t really do it all in one sitting because other things were happening. The scanned footage was coming in batches – and as Trevor [Roth], Rod [Roddenberry,] and I have said, you open up a can and you might only see one little roll of film. And then in the next one, a bigger roll… but that one big roll might have just been a workprint of an entire episode with nothing special in there at all.

CBS had to find someone who would sit there, take all the stuff out, splice it together, core it [back onto a film reel] — and then telecine the footage. That took time, and that’s why it took so many years. And when they would make media files of these reels, then they had to wait until someone was available to view it. There was no specific structure during the early stages of the process, because there was no plan for a product – because no one had a clue as to what we would find.

TREKCORE: …if you would even find anything at all.

LAY: Yeah. That’s why it took so long.

TREKCORE: Back at Comic Con, Denise said it was like a big classified project – why all the secrecy? Just to avoid getting fans’ hopes up for something that may not pan out?

LAY: Yeah – and the moment you tell the fans that you found something this relevant, the next question is, “Well, what are you going to do with it?” And there was no answer to that yet, because we needed to see everything and figure out not only what we have, but also what the best use of the material might be.

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With Rod Roddenberry (center), Denise and Mike Okuda marvel over the found film.

And as I said, there was Next Gen, I was working on the single-disc TNG releases, we were doing those theatrical releases for the first three seasons – plus I was working on the Enterprise Blu-ray project at the same time, as well as other home media projects, all in addition to my regular work as a producer on other films and projects, you know?

So it was a long stretch of saying, “Well, we’ll figure it out.” – that is, until about two years ago, when I finally sat down and wrote out like a sixteen-page proposal of what we should do with this material.

That’s when everything really started kind of taking shape with Mike and Denise and myself, and all these conversations with the executives at CBS, kind of delivering a vision for them In this proposal.

It was pretty hefty – we used frame-grabs from the recovered footage so that we could explain to them how we were going to utilize the imagery, like when a filmmaker comes in to a pitch meeting with eight different concept renderings of key scenes, saying “These are the moments.”

So we pulled those moments that we thought were mind-blowing – like the Peter Kirk scene from “Operation – Annihilate!” – and we’d explain what it was, how we could build that into a narrative that could put everything into context.

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Peter Kirk (Craig Hundley) with his uncle Jim – in a deleted scene. (Photo via Orion Press Fanzines)

TREKCORE: Speaking of ‘building a narrative’ – and you mentioned this a bit in the panel discussion – why aren’t these new clips going to be a branching feature from the included episodes?

LAY: You have to guide the viewer through the importance of these clips, and you have to highlight what it is they’re going to be appreciating here. At the same time, it’s the fiftieth anniversary, so we wanted to revisit the origins of the show and tell the story of life on the set and the challenges these people faced – and we feel the footage really helped us do that.

It’s a combination of two experiences — taking you on a time-travelling journey, while revealing these snippets of moments that we never even thought had survived.

TREKCORE: And there’s this other feature, with everything else you found…

LAY: Yes, there’s a set of clips that didn’t really fit into our narrative of the origins of the show, the making of those three seasons. Any other components we found that we thought were interesting, and compelling, and hadn’t been seen before – because that’s the key element here, it’s stuff that hasn’t been seen – we’re parking all that stuff in a piece called “Snippets from the Cutting Room Floor.”

TREKCORE: So it’s kind of a catch-all of all the ‘other stuff’ recovered from the film.

LAY: That’s the commitment CBS, the Roddenberry team, and everyone involved has to this project – so that the fans buying the Blu-ray set will feel that they got everything there is to see. Because that’s something that comes up a lot at these convention panels: are we using everything? The answer is “Yes.”

That includes behind the scenes footage, too – we spend a great deal of time exploring the creation of the Original Series’ special effects in “Visualizing the Fantastic,” where you get to see how the technicians kind of figured out everything on the fly, sometimes they had just a couple of days to get a certain effects shot.

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The eleven-foot Enterprise studio model goes before the cameras.

TREKCORE: So that’s like creating the planets, the transporter effects – and you mentioned there’s also model footage, like additional Botany Bay shots we haven’t seen.

LAY: The Botany Bay, and just great stuff of the Enterprise – long takes coming in slowly, from the original material shot at the effects house. You see the technicians around the miniatures on the stage floor working – for example, in order to rotate the ship, because there was no motion control – they had the stand for the ship on a camera head, so you had to rotate that camera head.

So there’s a technician on the floor rotating that, and he’s sweating his –

TREKCORE: When it’s a million degrees!

LAY: Yes! You see all the lights, the whole setup – you get to understand how they did it because you see the entire rig. The shuttle, the Botany Bay, the Enterprise, the K-7 space station — a lot of great stuff.

TREKCORE: Is there anything in there that survived from the filming of “The Cage”?

LAY: There were some workprint elements from that episode – we actually used some snippets of that footage in one of the documentaries, but nothing really significant.

We talk about “The Cage” in “Revisiting a Classic” as we explore the making of the two pilots before we move on to production of the actually weekly episodic run, so there’s a little tiny bit with Pike on there, but just to cover that portion of creating the show.

TREKCORE: You were also talking about some of the other features – you mentioned that each disc has a part of the overall documentary…

LAY: “Inside the Roddenberry Vault.”

TREKCORE: And that’s like an hour per disc?

LAY: Yeah, an hour a disc. Each disc will have a standalone piece, along with one part of “Inside the Vault.”

The first disc has “Revisiting a Classic,” which takes you back to the beginnings, along with part one of “Inside the Vault.” The second will have “Visualizing the Fantastic,” along with the second part of “Inside the Vault.” Disc three has the “Cutting Room Floor” segment, and the third “Inside the Vault” feature.

So everything is split up nicely – plus there are new commentary tracks, and isolated music tracks for almost every episode.

TREKCORE: You also mentioned that there will be a focus on Gene Coon and his contributions to the show in one part of the documentaries – somebody who’s been overlooked in a lot of the previous interview features.

LAY: Absolutely. Look, there’s a reason we selected the episodes we did – not just because of their connective tissue to the Vault footage, but also because we feel a lot of these are the best examples of what makes Star Trek great.

There’s “Devil in the Dark,” from Gene Coon – but as you go “Inside the Vault,” and we guide you through the new footage, we’re also exploring the elements that helped created this great hour of television. So as you experience the vault clips from “Devil in the Dark,” you’re also learning about Gene Coon.

When you learn about the creation of the visual effects, you’ll also be learning about individuals like Wah Chang, Joseph Westheimer, and Matt Jefferies. You’re going to learn about all these people who contributed so much to Star Trek – not just the cast and widely-known crew.

TREKCORE: All the nitty-gritty stuff.

LAY: Yes, absolutely! We don’t just talk about them, we have great visuals to help tell their story.

I really want people to understand that this project was not just about giving fans an assembly of clips and random footage from the show. This was always about taking people on a journey – and if we’re going on that journey, exploring the origins of the show, then you have to understand who these people were.

Everybody knows about Gene Roddenberry. Everybody knows about Dorothy Fontana, David Gerrold, and maybe John Black. Everybody knows about Harlan Ellison – even though Harlan only came up with the story for one episode – but he’s a superstar in science fiction.

But not a lot of people know about the other individuals whose work we explore here. Albert Whitlock and his matte paintings belong in a museum! We talk about his work, and you’re going to see beautiful visuals from the Vault on his paintings. We talk about the use of optical printing on the show, and cover the father of optical printing Howard Anderson, along with all the VFX people who aren’t with us anymore.

So, again, that’s very different from a product where you just press PLAY ALL and a bunch of short clips play. That’s not what you’re getting here. It was never our intention to do that – our intention was to take you on a guided exploration of the origins of Star Trek, having found the best visuals to help convey that story.

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Spock, McCoy, and Kirk explore the lush flora of a new planet in a deleted scene.

TREKCORE: On some of the recovered scenes, there have been a few hints to what will be included. Scott Mantz mentioned in Vegas that there’s the cut ending to “Who Mourns for Adonais”

LAY: The omitted dialogue, yeah, where they find out Carolyn Palamas is pregnant.

TREKCORE: You revealed your panel that in addition to the Peter Kirk footage, there’s also a new “Space Seed” scene?

LAY: Yeah!

TREKCORE: Some of these story elements have been hinted at in the Blish novelizations, or other sources…

LAY: Like the scripts from Lincoln Enterprises!

TREKCORE: Right. Those things were at least somewhat public. Was there anything you found, though, that you had no idea existed before the film review process began?

LAY: There were things we were specifically hunting for, because of the myths relating to their existence – like the Peter Kirk material – and I’m happy to report we found those, but there were also smaller things of lesser significance that we found. Not big, but still quite interesting!

There’s a great moment – and I won’t reveal the episode it’s from – of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy together that didn’t make it into the final episode. While it’s a very brief clip, there’s so much character in that moment about how those characters feel regarding their long journey in space on this five-year mission; some great character stuff, where you get inside Kirk’s head about how he feels about what they’re experiencing.

That’s an example of a little snippet we weren’t looking for, we just found it – and it’s great, and it’s part of “Revisiting a Classic” when we speak about the dynamic between these three characters and the three actors. And fans had never seen it before.

So yes, there is more to see on the discs – but no more hints, we need to keep some surprises for everyone. This comes out around the holidays so we don’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas gift!

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Cut footage from TNG Season 3’s “Evolution,” recovered after that season’s Blu-ray set was completed.

TREKCORE: Finally, we know from Starlog and other publications of the time that there’s more Next Generation footage out there – like Wesley Crusher’s birthday party, or the excised footage from “Evolution” or “Sins of the Father” – that haven’t been officially released.

Is there any chance we might someday see some kind of “TNG Vault”?

LAY: To be honest, I have no idea – I don’t know if there’s enough of that kind of material to do a Next Gen version of this project. I mean, if Rod wakes up one morning and finds a secret storage locker where his dad kept a bunch of TNG film reels, that’d be great for all of us who love the show – but in terms of the missing TNG content that people are aware of, I don’t think there’s enough for another project of this kind of project.

But never say never – this is the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek, and it’s getting even bigger with Discovery and CBS All Access, which I think is the new frontier for Star Trek. Really, I believe that – I think a new show on a CBS-owned outlet is the best possible set-up, and if it works, think of the possibilities.

When it comes to Star Trek, I never say, “That’ll never happen!” Because so many people around the world are interested in this universe. If there was anything worthwhile, I will say that the people behind the Star Trek brand at CBS would want to get it out there, they know how important it is to fans.

And you’ve seen the wonderful work they’ve done the last couple years on these home video releases, so who knows – but for now, our focus is on getting The Roddenberry Vault set completed, so we can catch our breath for whatever comes next.

*   *   *

Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault hits stores on December 13 in the USA, and a bit earlier in the UK (December 5) and Germany (December 1).

Preorder the set below, or you can order the Steelbook edition out of Germany as a special edition!

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Order
The Roddenberry Vault

Order
Star Trek Lost Scenes

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Names First Official Cast Members

After a week of hot rumors about the casting for STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, CBS has today officially named the first three names in the new Trek production’s on-screen team.

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Image via CBS.
  • Noted character actor Doug Jones will be portraying Lieutenant Saru, “a Starfleet science officer, and new alien species to the Star Trek universe.” Jones is well known for his work under prosthetic makeup – a natural for Trek – from such films as Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, along with the recent Falling Skies television series.
  • As previously reported, Michelle Yeoh has in fact beamed aboard of captain of the starship Shenzhou, but her character’s name is Captain Georgiou, not ‘Han Bo’ as rumored in the trades. Yeoh will portray the first on-screen Asian female captain of a Federation vessel.
  • Finally, Anthony Rapp – one of the original cast members of RENT on Broadway – will take on the role of Lt. Stamets, science officer and astromycologist (“fungus expert”) aboard the Discovery. This casting choice continues Trek‘s longstanding tradition of including well-versed stage actors in its ensembles.

We don’t yet know much more about these characters or their role in the new show, but we’re glad to see CBS making some real news now about STAR TREK: DISCOVERY ahead of the May 2017 debut.

Musical Surprises Fill La-La Land’s TREK 50TH Soundtrack

Well, it’s been almost a year since news first broke about La-La Land’s planned Star Trek: 50th Anniversary soundtrack collection – and as part of a wave of Black Friday announcements, they’ve finally made it official: this new collection arrives on November 29!

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This upcoming four-disc collection spans the entire prime Star Trek universe, from the Original Series to Star Trek: Enterprise, touching on a few Trek films, and some unexpected sources like the now-closed Las Vegas Star Trek: The Experience adventures “Klingon Encounter” and “Borg Invasion 4D”, along with the Star Trek: Borg PC game music previously released in 2013’s Star Trek: Music from the Video Games soundtrack.

Most surprising, though, is the inclusion of more than 30 minutes of music from Star Trek: The Animated Series, long though lost to time! Back in 2012, La-La Land producer Jeff Bond told us about the issues facing TAS’s music:

The other thing that people would probably like to see – and I don’t know if it’s possible or practical – is music from The Animated Series. That was done only a few years after the Original Series by a great composer named Ray Ellis who did almost all of the Filmation cartoon music.

The Animated Series music was very memorable, although they didn’t do a lot of music for the show. My guess is there’s probably thirty or forty minutes of music at the very most because they basically created more of a library for that show and tracked it through the episodes.

The problem is that Filmation went through a number of ownerships and I’m not sure if CBS have access to the original music elements. According to Ray all of that stuff was destroyed long ago. There can always be dubs and copies floating around, but as far as I know there’s nothing in great quality that you could put together for another release.

That’s something that people might like to see, but it’s not certain if it could be done.

Despite these hurdles, La-La Land’s team has managed to reconstruct the collected Animated Series tracks for this new release – not an easy undertaking – as producer Neil Bulk explained briefly via Twitter overnight:

https://twitter.com/nsbulk/status/802066828377735169
Producer Lukas Kendall took to the Film Score Monthly message boards this morning to drop some more details about the formation of this set… and also revealed that there’s not only the expected Star Trek: Voyager soundtrack coming in January – but there’s also a second Voyager set already in the works, as well as a follow-up to 2013’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine collection on the way too!

 

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This new collection goes up for sale at La-La Land’s website at 12PM PST / 3PM EST next Tuesday, November 29. In the meantime, check out the full track list below!

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STAR TREK: 50th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
MUSICAL RARITIES FROM ACROSS THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE
LIMITED EDTION (4-CD SET)

La-La Land Records and CBS present, STAR TREK: 50th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION – MUSICAL RARITIES FROM ACROSS THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE, a sensational celebration of 50 years of Star Trek music in honor of the landmark series’ five-decade milestone. Travel at warp through Star Trek’s spellbinding musical history, with rare and exciting selections from the franchise’s varied television series, films, games, themed attractions and more!

DISC ONE features cues from the original, classic STAR TREK TV series (most of which were released on our TOS BOX SET, but have been sourced from newly discovered elements), as well the oft-requested STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE track “Inner Workings,” (featuring the wind machine more prominently) and STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN’s “End Titles,” (without the narration as heard on previous soundtrack releases.)

DISC TWO showcases the official world premiere release of music from STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES, the beloved 70’s Filmation TV series, as well as original STAR TREK-inspired compositions from Ron Jones, and STAR TREK BORG, a score by Dennis McCarthy from an interactive 1996 movie/computer game.

DISC THREE features previously unreleased scores from STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, including such episodes “Coming of Age,” “The Hunted,” “Tapestry” and more, as well as the series’ trailer music.

DISC FOUR contains more unreleased THE NEXT GENERATION, including “Deja Q,” “Elementary, Dear Data,” and others, as well as unreleased demo tracks from DEEP SPACE NINE, and VOYAGER, original score from the famed Las Vegas attraction, STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE, and still more!

Produced by Lukas Kendall and mastered by Doug Schwartz and James Nelson, this special collection contains a 48-page booklet with exclusive liner notes by writer Jeff Bond and stellar art design by Mark Banning. This treasure trove of musical gems from the most celebrated sci-fi television series of all time has a total running time of more than five full hours and is limited to 3000 units.

The first 200 or so customers who order this title from our website will receive a copy autographed by composer Dennis McCarthy at no additional charge. Autographs are available only while supplies last and are NOT guaranteed.

DISC 1

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES
Third Season Theme Music

1. Main Title/End Title (soprano version, stereo) (1:14)
arr. Alexander Courage, cond. Wilbur Hatch

FIRST Season Library Music
Music Composed by Joseph Mullendore, Conducted by Fred Steiner

2. Love Scene* LM4 (1:15)
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

SECOND Season Library Music
Music Composed and Conducted by Alexander Courage

3. Ship in Orbit* (Big) LM6 (0:40)
4. Sad and Thoughtful on Captain’s Theme LM8–LM8A (2:30)
5. Captain Playoff No. 1 (Heavy) LM2 (0:08)
6. Smooth Neutral Ship Theme* LM7 (0:41)
7. Playoff on M.T. Theme LM1 (0:23)
8. Fight on Captain’s Theme LM5/LM5A (1:50)
9. Captain Playoff No. 2  (Neutral—Slightly Ominous) LM3 (0:12)
10. Stingers LM17A/LM17B/LM17C/LM17D (0:51)
11. New Sexy Exotic LM9 (2:17)
12. Captain Playoff No. 3 (Sad and Alone) LM4 (0:20)
13. Prime Specimen (“The Cage” M21–30) LM19 (3:13)
14. Monster Illusion (“The Cage” M42) LM18 (2:34)
15. Mr. Spock (“Captain’s Wig” From “The Naked Time” M54–61) LM16 (3:27)
16. The Big Go  (“The Naked Time” M62) LM15 (2:30)
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry
Music Composed by Fred Steiner
17. Mudd’s Perfidy (“Mudd’s Women” M43) LM10A/LM10 (0:33)
18. Zap the Cap (“Charlie X” M53) LM11 (1:34)
19. Zap the Cap (“Charlie X” M53) LM11A tk 1 (0:08)
20. Zap the Cap (“Charlie X” M53) LM11A tk 2 (0:06)
21. Zap the Spaceship (“Charlie X” M54) LM12 (1:28)
22. Zap the Spaceship (“Charlie X” M54) LM12A (0:34)
23. Zap the Spaceship (“Charlie X” M54) LM12B (0:08)
24. Ruk Attacks  (“What Are Little Girls Made Of?” M43A) LM13 (1:41)
Music Composed by Gerald Fried
25. 2nd Ruth (“Shore Leave” M31A orch. Gus Levene) LM14 (2:35)

SPOCK’S BRAIN #61
Music Composed and Conducted by Fred Steiner

26. No Mind/Tense Meeting/Tracking the Alien/The Question M15/M16/M21/M22 (2:31)

THIRD Season Library Music
Conducted by Wilbur Hatch

THE CAGE
Music Composed by Alexander Courage

27. Survivors (M21) LM100 (1:42)
28. Bottled (M31) LM101 (1:52)
29. Monster Illusion (M42) LM102 (2:46)
30. Monster Illusion (tag) (M42) LM102A (0:10)
31. The Kibitzers (M44) LM103 (0:41)
32. Vina’s Punishment (M51) LM104 (1:54)
33. Vina’s Dance (M62) LM105 (1:53)
34. Wrong Think (M73) LM106 (0:43)

WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
Music Composed by Alexander Courage

35. Act 1 Card (M13) LM107 (0:38)
36. Crippled Ship (M22) LM108 (0:55)
37. Speedy Reader (M24) LM109 (1:06)
38. End Title (M64) LM110 (0:24)

THE MAN TRAP
Music Composed by Alexander Courage

39. First Goner (M14–21) LM111 tk 3 (0:48)
40. First Goner (M14–21) LM111 tk 4 (0:49)
41. Dressing Down (M23) LM114 (0:08)
42. Monitor Gizzard (M25) LM113 (0:14)
43. Monitor Gizzard (M25) LM113A (0:09)
44. Lazer Dazer (M45–51) LM112 (2:44)
45. Dodo Girl (M52) LM115 (0:09)

CATSPAW
Music Composed by Gerald Fried

46. Drugged (M25) LM116 (1:23)
47. Mace Fight (M61) LM117 (0:59)
48. Mace Fight (M61) LM117A (0:18)

FRIDAY’S CHILD
Music Composed by Gerald Fried

49. Down the Throat (M58) LM118 (1:13)
50. Arrows (M61) LM119 (1:25)

FORMAT MUSIC
Music Composed by Wilbur Hatch

51. Bumper (broadcast edit) (0:06) – Alexander Courage, arr. Wilbur Hatch
52. Bumpers (alternates) (0:25) – Alexander Courage, arr. Wilbur Hatch
53. Paramount Television I.D. (0:05)
54. Paramount Television I.D. (alternate) (0:04)

FEATURE FILMS

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE
Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith

55. Inner Workings (alternate mix) (4:03)

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
Music Composed and Conducted by James Horner

56. Epilogue*/End Title* (sans narration) (8:41)

Total Time – Disc One: 76:13

DISC 2

STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael, Musical Direction: Ray Ellis

1. Title Theme (1:01)
2. Captain’s Log (1:19)
3. Something Ahead (0:54)
4. Evasive Maneuvers (1:07)
5. Sensor Data (1:07)
6. Intercept Course (0:14)
7. Fire Phasers (0:50)
8. Enterprise Attacked (1:32)
9. Illogical (0:13)
10. Briefing (0:43)
11. On the Viewscreen (1:02)
12. New Heading (0:19)
13. Scanning (0:54)
14. Deflector Shields (0:19)
15. Red Alert (0:33)
16. Battle Stations (0:41)
17. Surprise (0:07)
18. Supplemental Log (0:49)
19. Kirk’s Command (1:11)
20. Sickbay (0:28)
21. Library Computer (0:44)
22. Full Power (0:28)
23. Approaching Coordinates (0:08)
24. The Bigger Meaning (1:15)
25. Trouble in Engineering (0:29)
26. Spock’s Analysis (0:42)
27. Enterprise Wins the Space Race (0:43)
28. McCoy’s Summary (0:16)
29. Just Another Stardate (0:39)
30. Ongoing Mission (0:18)
31. Title Theme (alternate mix) (1:01)
32. Sensor Data (alternate mix) (1:02)
33. Enterprise Attacked (alternate opening) (1:42)
34. Scanning (alternate mix) (0:54)
35. Turbolift Music (0:29)
36. Mr. Arex Lends an Extra Hand (0:38)
37. Fascinating (0:17)
38. Don’t Mess With M’Ress (0:22)
39. Oh My (0:17)
40. Spock’s Quick Analysis (0:22)
41. Yellow Alert (0:26)
42. Off Duty (0:15)
43. Suite: Stingers and Act-Out Music (2:03)

MUSIC INSPIRED BY STAR TREK
Music Composed by Ron Jones

44. The Ascent (7:43)
45. Meaning (2:27)
46. Pathway to the Stars (3:17)

STAR TREK: BORG
Music Composed and Orchestrated by Dennis McCarthy
Electronic Realization by Kevin Kiner

47. Main Theme (1:02)
48. The Legend of the Borg (1:24)
49. Battle at Wolf 359 (2:58)
50. The Battle Rages (0:58)
51. Club Q (0:55)
52. I Am Berman of Borg (1:36)
53. Goldsmith Has Been Assimilated! (1:37)
54. Welcome to the Collective Cadet (2:22)
55. Searching the Borg Ship (2:20)
56. Time Is Running Out (1:17)
57. Escape From the Borg Collective (1:42)
58. Borg Hell (2:03)
59. You Will Be Assimilated. Have a Nice Day (2:21)
60. “Resistance Is Futile, My Ass!”/ Finale (7:25)
61. End Titles (1:03)

Total Time – Disc Two: 77:23

DISC 3

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Music by Dennis McCarthy

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title (1st season, alternate take) (1:48)
Music by Alexander Courage and Jerry Goldsmith, Arr./cond. Dennis McCarthy

COMING OF AGE #119
2. Physics/Shuttle Fuss (3:35)
3. Air Bounce (2:04)
4. Competition (2:14)
5. Decisions (2:04)

SYMBIOSIS #123
6. Flares (3:04)
7. Precious Cargo (2:10)
8. Four Out of Six (1:03)

UNNATURAL SELECTION #133
9. Searchin’ (1:10)

THE MEASURE OF A MAN #135
10. Memories (1:19)

CONTAGION #137
11. U.S.S. Yamato/Vaporized (1:22)
12. Floral Tea/Otis’ Revenge (2:07)
13. Romulan Misfire/Phasers/
Escape/Goodbye Iconia* (2:27)

THE SURVIVORS #151
14. Diversion (2:16)

THE BONDING #153
15. Dad/Mom’s Double (2:04)
16. Release/Ceremonial Worf/
Off Into Space* (4:01)

THE ENEMY #155
17. Into the Pit (3:01)

THE HUNTED #159
18. Escape Artist/Melee (3:28)
19. Breakout (0:32)
20. Phased/Geordi (4:14)
21. Confronted/To the Stars* (3:30)

SINS OF THE FATHER #165
22. Condemned (1:22)

TRANSFIGURATIONS #173
23. Lookin’ Fine (1:44)
24. Lazarus (3:48)
25. Choke Hold/Explanatory/El Ascencio (5:11)

FUTURE IMPERFECT #182
26. Delusionary (4:08)

TAPESTRY #241
27. Saint Q (2:05)
28. It’s a Wonderful Life/Deja Vuosity*/War Stories (3:18)
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

PARALLELS #263
29. Instant Family (2:42)
30. Wolfman Riker (3:09)

Trailer Music
31. Theme From Star Trek: The Motion Picture (30-second version) (0:33)
Jerry Goldsmith, arr./cond. Dennis McCarthy

Total Time – Disc Three: 78:57

DISC 4

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

UNIFICATION I & II #208-207
1. Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)
(“Gene Roddenberry 1921–1991”) (unused alternate) (0:10)
Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry, arr. Dennis McCarthy

TIN MAN #168
Music by Jay Chattaway

2. Soft*/Student (1:04)
3. Unique/Welcome/Data (0:48)
4. Problems/Land of Living (1:41)
5. Scared (broadcast version) (0:47)
6. One Way Trip (1:08)
7. All of It (0:57)
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

DEJA Q #161
Music by Dennis McCarthy

8. Tractor Moon/Hoisted (2:58)
9. La Paloma (traditional) (1:13)
10. Coffin Spike* (0:45)
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

CAPTAIN’S HOLIDAY #167
Music by Dennis McCarthy

11. Planet Vegas (1:12)

QPID #194
Music by Dennis McCarthy

12. Hat Trick/Sir Guy/Nottingham Castle/Maid Marian (unused)/Betrayed (3:21)
13. To the Block/Swordplay/Game’s Over (4:16)
14. Adieu (1:04)
15. Plucking Three (0:13)

ELEMENTARY, DEAR DATA #123
Music by Dennis McCarthy

16. Sherlock Tones (0:55)
17. Dead End/Turtleback (2:36)
18. Short Goodbye (1:21)

SHIP IN A BOTTLE #238
Music by Dennis McCarthy

19. Holo Tolodo! (4:02)

CLUES #188
Music by Dennis McCarthy

20. Peace Dividends/Gloria/Blown Away (1:39)

MANHUNT #145
Music by Dennis McCarthy

21. Juke Boxer (3:29)
22. How High the Moon (3:36)
(Nancy Hamilton & Morgan Lewis, arr. McCarthy)

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT
23. Moonlight Becomes You (2:55)
Written by Johnny Burke & Jimmy Van Heusen
Performed by Julie Morgan
Produced by John E. Oliver

UNIFICATION II #207
Music by Dennis McCarthy

24. Andorian Blues (0:37)
25. Aktuh and Maylota (0:49) (Music by Dennis McCarthy, Lyrics by Rick Berman)
26. Melor Famigal (0:58) (Music by Dennis McCarthy, Lyrics by Rick Berman)

LESSONS #245
27. Picard and Nella, Date #1 (Picard’s Cabin) (2:43)

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement•
Picard—Demo Flute/Nella—Piano Arpeggio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement•
Frère Simple Duet••
Frère on Piano Improvises••
Frère on Flute••
Frère Fancy Duet••
Picard and Nella (McCarthy score)

•Bach, arr. McCarthy
••Consisting of Frère Jacques, traditional, arr. McCarthy

28. Picard and Nella, Date #2 (Jefferies Tube) (2:22)

Sonata, Op 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”)•••
Theme From “The Inner Light”••••
Tubal Osculation (McCarthy score)

•••Beethoven, arr. McCarthy
••••Jay Chattaway, arr. McCarthy

SAREK #171
29. Sextet #1 in B-flat Major,  Op. 18 (II, Andante) (1:53)
(Johannes Brahms)

STAR TREK: THE EXPERIENCE
30. Klingon Encounter* (4:24) – Music by Jay Chattaway
*Contains “Theme From Star Trek (TV Series)” by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

31. BORG INVASION 4D† (7:22)
Music by Dennis McCarthy & Kevin Kiner
†Contains “Theme From Star Trek: Voyager”
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
Music by Dennis McCarthy

32. Main Title Demo (1:59)
33. Single Bridge Demo (2:24)

STAR TREK: VOYAGER

CARETAKER #721
34. Main Title Demo (1:51) – Music by Jerry Goldsmith
35. Lookover†/Maiden Voyager† (1:34) – Music by Jay Chattaway
†Contains “Theme From Star Trek: Voyager” Composed by Jerry Goldsmith

VIRTUOSO #234
Music by Dennis McCarthy

36. Opera Alla Alienosity (1:11)

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE

BROKEN BOW #721
Music by Dennis McCarthy

37. Dance-O-Matic (2:28)

Trailer Music
38. Communique (C) (2:33)
Star Trek: The Next Generation Trailer Music, 1990–91: #184, 186–227.
Written and Performed by David Reilly (PRS)

Total Time – Disc Four: 78:57

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE Returns to DVD in 2017

Half a year after CBS released another round of repackaged Star Trek: The Next Generation DVDs, the studio has next chosen to revisit Star Trek: Enterprise in a set of both full-series and separate-season DVDs due for January 10, 2017.

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The original North American DVD sets, heavy plastic surrounding fragile disc trays. Not fun.

The four seasons are due to retailers in new thinpak-style DVD cases, a much more user-friendly presentation than the USA’s original, cumbersome silver sets released in 2005.

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These new releases are expected to be the same discs as the original 2005 collections, which mean buyers shouldn’t expect to see the expanded bonus content created for the Blu-ray releases – or the additional DVD features released by Best Buy in 2005.

In addition, CBS also has a full-series box set on the way, which will contain the first three years of Enterprise in the now-common ‘EpikPak’ oversized DVD case, along with Season Four in its own case along side inside the outer slipcover.

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If you haven’t made the leap to high definition, these are a much more shelf-friendly way of stocking up on the adventures of the Enterprise NX-01… but with the full-series Blu-ray collection available for nearly the same cost – and containing a much better presentation, along with hours of new special features – it might be time to think about an upgrade!

Hopefully, though, this is a promising sign for the other Trek shows – while we’re not expecting a Blu-ray upgrade anytime soon, it really is far past time that Deep Space Nine and Voyager receive a low-cost, shelf-friendly repackaging on DVD, and we hope that’s on CBS’s radar for the near future.

In the meantime, however, you can order the complete Star Trek: Enterprise collection on either DVD or Blu-ray through our links below.

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Order the
Star Trek: Enterprise
DVD Collection!



Order the
Star Trek: Enterprise
Blu-ray Collection!


Michelle Yeoh STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Rumors Heat Up

That STAR TREK: DISCOVERY casting rumor which hit the web last night has taken on some new life this evening, as Hollywood heavyweights VarietyDeadline, and The Hollywood Reporter are all now reporting that that Chinese-Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh has beamed aboard the upcoming Trek television revival in a yet-undisclosed role – though CBS has not yet publicly confirmed that to any news outlet.

Yeoh is one of Asia’s biggest stars, but she is perhaps best known to Western audiences for her feature-film roles in 1997’s James Bond adventure Tomorrow Never Dies and 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has recently participated in streaming projects such as the recent Crouching Tiger sequel Sword of Destiny, and the historical drama Marco Polo, both Netflix productions.

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Michelle Yeoh in 2016’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny’.

It’s unclear what kind of role Yeoh will inhabit on the show, as CBS has kept mum about nearly everything about the upcoming series – but Deadline claims that her character will be “Han Bo,” a Starfleet captain commanding the starship Shenzhou, which “is set to play a big role in Discovery’s first season.”

Her character is not, however, expected to be the yet-uncast “lead role,” expected to be a younger female actor of color, taking on an officer ranked Lieutenant Commander.

Yeoh was asked about her casting in an interview last night, where she adamantly said that she could “neither confirm nor deny” the rumors, but that she expected that “CBS will make their own announcement,” lending even more credence to these yet-unconfirmed reports.

Neither CBS nor the STAR TREK: DISCOVERY production team has commented or confirmed this casting news, but with these three high-level entertainment news outlets all reporting it tonight, it seems more likely than not that Yeoh’s found a place in the Roddenberry universe.

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Trek Comics Review: “Waypoint #2”

waypoint2-coversmallOrder Waypoint #2

Star Trek: Waypoint #2 is a bit of a mix and match for this month’s offerings. Before I begin though, I have to say how much I love anthologies and how excited I am by the concept of Waypoint.

If there was ever a way to celebrate Trek, then an assortment of Trek stories is the way to go. As Gumpian logic goes, you never know what you’re going to get, but that does not mean you forever shy away from the box of chocolates.

First, I need to acknowledge that this comic issue was dedicated to the memory of long-time Star Trek fan Eric Cone, who passed away in September – adding a level of poignancy and fan appreciation to this book.

There are three covers to this book. The regular cover by David Malan is an admirable presentation of a typical “trinity” pose of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. It’s a typical cover and absolutely nothing wrong or unenjoyable with it. It’s solid, workable and exactly what a fan would expect to see.

The retailer incentive version is a standard photo shot of the same sort of idea except with a pairing of Kirk and Spock. It’s a fairly bland cover and I fail to see why this would be an incentive for a retailer to collect other than the limited amount of numbers of this book published. In terms of creativity, it’s a fairly bland incentive to comic shop owners. If it were me, I think I’d appreciate a more original comic art offering.

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The subscription cover by Gordon Purcell has to be the winner out of the three covers for this issue. As I earlier indicated, this is a glorious reminder of those days long gone by when Star Trek comics were left to the imaginations of European artists with limited understanding and appreciation for the TV show. Still, there was a limited sort of imaginative originality to these books. It was a more generic type of science fiction that saw more continental rather than domestic artistic influence. Still, it was enjoyable and it did run from 1967 to 1978 so it saw a great deal of success. Clearly, something was done right.

The first story in Waypoint #2 is a class-A homage to the days of the 1960’s – 1970’s Gold Key Trek comics. If you were like me, and a devoted Star Trek adolescent, then you had at least one of these in your comic collection – and you probably complained about its woeful inaccuracies: the phasers needing ammunition, the Enterprise’s rocket exhaust fumes from the nacelles and the overall campiness of the series.

However, the truth of the matter is that the comic artists on this series were in the dark when it came to Star Trek, save for some publicity materials they were given. The writers were a bit more in the know, and some of these issues featured greats like Len Wein, so the stories worked. But there was an element of pulp to them that can be better and more fondly appreciated with age. I look back at them now with a smile and enjoy them for their simplicity and fun.

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The Menace of the Mechanitrons is a wonderful tribute to this age; complete with awkward spelling rules, clunky dialogue and simplistic plot development. It’s a throw-back to a more basic era of comic creation but a thoroughly enjoyable one when you consider the amount of talent it takes to replicate that style.

Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore get full acclaim for their dutiful and reverential work in recreating not just the story-telling of this time but also the sense of nostalgia one gets when reading this book. It’s fun, and it’s definitely the same feeling I remember when I first turned the pages of a Gold Key comic many years ago standing next to a magazine rack in a bubble-gum scented grocery store waiting for my mother to finish the shopping!

Gordon Purcell gets a fully appreciative nod as well for so accurately capturing the same sense of positioning, layouts and action I remember from those days. It was a real treat and Purcell deserves a great deal of credit for his work.

However, the colouring also needs to be acknowledged in this story. Jason Lewis manages to provide a faded palette that also adds to the nostalgic mood of this story. It’s a real team effort in transporting the reader back to those simpler times. This is a story that can be appreciated by those of fine, discriminating tastes.

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I had a more difficult time appreciating the second story – Legacy – written by Sam Maggs and penciled by Rachel Stott. It held the same promise, but fell down in its delivery. First off, it’s an admirable attempt by the writer to demonstrate her Trek-ness by identifying such an obscure piece of trivia and using it as the starter for the story. Yeoman Leslie Thompson was the only female redshirt to be killed on an away mission in the TOS canon, and I have to admire the cool factor behind that.

Yet, the story begins to lose its integrity with the awkward retrospective of alternate legacies Thompson could have had if she had somehow survived her encounter with the Andromedan visitors who killed her in “By Any Other Name.” The sequence of the story rested on the sequencing of various adventures of the Enterprise and how Thompson could have contributed to them.

I found the final panels somewhat confusing. Initially, I took this to be the Thompson from the Kelvin Timeline having survived her encounters – unlike her TOS Timeline counterpart. Yet upon more consideration, it was actually a future Kelvin Timeline cadet reflecting on Thompson’s memorial.

If Thompson was such a minor character and died a self-described pointless death, though, why would she be such an inspirational character? I confess to finding the sequence of that section of the plot somewhat vague and sadly, the story didn’t work for me.

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However, Stott’s art was absolutely stunning. Her focus on the characters’ emotional expressions was a wonderful support to the story. Her clean lines and physical positioning of the made for excellent and dynamic panels and her work would definitely be something that I would welcome seeing again. There’s something to her art that is very reminiscent of Terry Dodson’s style: crisp, vibrant and completely realistic. It’s a thoroughly well-drawn story and definitely a style that fits Trek. It was well-appreciated.

Waypoint is still finding its legs in this second issue. It’s hard to go from zero to sixty but there’s an entire universe of Trek out there and lots of time and legions of fans eager to indulge their love of this franchise.

Looking Ahead to the New STAR TREK ADVENTURES RPG

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Tabletop game designer Modiphius Entertainment revealed plans earlier this year to launch Star Trek Adventures, a new pen-and-paper Star Trek role-playing game, in 2017. Trek fans across the internet greeted the announcement of the first new officially licensed Trek RPG in over a decade with enthusiasm, and those of us hungry for a sneak peak cheered even harder when Modiphius announced a public playtest to help them fine-tune the game.

We’re still waiting for the first batch of playtest materials – and you can still sign up for the playtest at the Modiphius website – but fans eager for clues about how the game is shaping up can find them in various online locales.

For instance, Modiphius has confirmed that Star Trek Adventures will utilize an adapted version of the company’s proprietary 2d20 game system, which Modiphius has used for several previous games such as Mutant Chronicles and Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

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Modiphius describes 2d20 as a “cinematic action orientated system” that requires players to roll two 20-sided dice, attempting to roll as low as possible to score successes. Those interested in a more in-depth look at 2d20 can score a free download of the quickstart rules for Robert E. Howard’s Conan at DriveThruRPG.

While previous Modiphius outings can certainly shed some light on what to expect from Star Trek Adventures, the game almost certainly will include some unique wrinkles to suit the Star Trek universe. A deep-dive into the message boards hosted by Modiphius, where some of the game designers post regularly, turns up a few tantalizing clues.

Here are some of the juiciest quotes from game developer Nathan Dowdell on the Star Trek Adventures message board. But be warned: the game is still under development, so it’s probably unwise to draw any sweeping conclusions from these quotes. Obviously, the game can – and likely will – change throughout the playtesting process.

On skill use: Characters in the Star Trek universe possess a huge range of skills – from maintaining warp fields, to firing phaser rifles, to handling first-contact situations on strange new worlds. So it would make sense for a Star Trek RPG to incorporate some sort of skill system into character creation.

In a message board post in August, Dowdell said the design team is aiming to present players with a limited number of skills that have a broad range of uses:

As I’ve noted elsewhere, we’re going for a small number of very broad skills, so characters have a broad baseline of competence.

A limited number of broadly useful skills hopefully will provide players with the mechanics they need to create competent and believable characters without the cumbersome and intimidating skill lists of previous iterations of Star Trek RPGs.

For instance, Last Unicorn Games, a company that produced a Star Trek RPGsline in the late 1990s, designed a game featuring scores of skills and specializations that could leave a new player’s head spinning.

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On starship combat: Ship-to-ship combat can pose some interesting challenges to game designers. Presenting each player, no matter what their role on the bridge, with interesting and strategic decisions throughout a starship battle isn’t easy, and previous Star Trek RPGs have had mixed results in how they tackle the challenge.

Dowdell offered some insight into the approach Star Trek Adventures will take, suggesting players may be encouraged to try strategies that avoid combat. If that holds true, it’s sounds very much in keeping with Star Trek’s core philosophy – and maximizing player agency has always been a central tenant of tabletop role-playing games.

One thing I’m trying to go for is the idea of lateral problem-solving. Blasting things with phasers may not be the only solution to a problem, and it may not even be a good one, which means that there’s plenty of opportunities for ‘non-blasty’ approaches in and out of combat.

On crew makeup: On a separate post, Dowdell seemed to suggest that the default assumption will be for player-characters to play senior staff aboard a starship. That should come as a surprise to precisely no one, since that’s the focus of virtually every episode and film in the Star Trek canon. But it’s interesting to read Dowdell’s full comment and how he contrasts Star Trek storytelling with some of the tropes associated with big-name RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons.

But if you’re only playing as ensigns, and rarely getting to do anything interesting, then doesn’t that kind of interfere with the point of playing ‘Star Trek’? If you’re not the Bridge Crew, then you can’t really be involved in space battles.

Unless all the characters are in the same department, there aren’t many reasons for them to cross paths all that frequently during their duties – the TNG episode “Lower Decks” is a decent one-off story, but it also shows how disconnected the junior personnel are from the action. They get given orders, they carry out the orders, but they don’t really get make any decisions, and decisions are at the heart of both good games and good stories.

If the PCs are senior staff, then they get to make the big decisions, see the big picture, and be the heroes… and that’s the interesting stuff that makes for a good game, and a good story.

Zero-to-hero doesn’t work for all RPG settings, or even most of them. It’s the standard because of D&D, but there’s no reason to assume that it should always be the case.

The Modiphius website explains that Star Trek Adventures will cover the prime Star Trek timeline, with specific mentions of the Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. The license doesn’t include the Kelvin Timeline depicted in the J.J. Abrams movies, nor does it cover the forthcoming Star Trek: Discovery series.

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There’s plenty more on the Modiphius website and message boards, and the designers seem to ask the fans for their opinions on various aspects of the game on a regular basis. So if you want to influence the future of Star Trek Adventures, participate on the boards and sign up for the free public playtest.

Once again, it’s probably too early to read too much into message board chatter about a game that hasn’t even started public playtesting. But it’s great fun to speculate about these things, and it’s been far too long since Trek fans and gamers have had an officially licensed rpg to speculate about.

Keep checking TrekCore for further coverage of Star Trek Adventures, and all other Trek gaming!

Trek Comics Review: “Boldly Go #2”

bg2-smallOrder Boldly Go #2

Blind devotion is the harbinger of a closed mind, and to be honest, I find myself guilty of manifesting this trait way too often in my pursuit of Star Trek fandom, particularly when it comes to the schism between new and old Trek.

But Tony Shasteen and Mike Johnson have given us something to think about in their second issue of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek: Boldly Go. Well, me, at least.

When I was growing up, the works of James Blish, Sondra Marshak, or Diane Carey, to name a few, expanded the universe of Trek to include wonderful diversity of different characters and perspectives of looking at this franchise. In fact, there are still parts of the classic Trek novel “The Price of the Phoenix” that still disturb me to this day, but I have learned to live with it.

Even if some of us didn’t agree or like changes, we still accepted them as a part of Trek and I think a number of fans, myself included, have forgotten that aspect of enjoying a fandom. We all accepted and forgave the male mini-skirt, right?

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The Kelvin Timeline is now an inextricable part of Trek and it’s the work of creators like Johnson and Shasteen that have allowed us to remember how to enjoy a fandom. Star Trek: Boldly Go expands the scope of the cinematic version of Star Trek by indulging in that freedom that comic storytelling permits.

We get to see characters’ personalities developing in different directions, read new and unexpected dialogue or even have the chance to look at the franchise from various characters’ points of view.

Johnson’s story structure for this book allows for this exploration. The comic is the ideal medium for characters to be in different parts of the galaxy while still contributing to a central storyline. We gain more insight into Uhura’s relationship with Spock while being able to play a supportive role to Kirk and McCoy on board the USS Endeavour, patiently waiting for the construction of the new Enterprise.

Even Sulu has a new role on board the USS Concord as First Officer to a familiar face for canon fans, Captain Terrell.

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It’s the re-direction of the Kelvin Timeline background with considerations like the inclusion of Captain Terrell that makes this story novel and workable for canon fans. Of course, the arrival of the Borg during Captain Kirk’s timeline is a bit of an early liberty, but why not?

The new timeline is anyone’s game at this point and there is no doubt that the Borg are a harsh foe and probably the greatest threat to the Federation ever encountered. After all, there was a hint of them in a Star Trek: Enterprise episode so there is no denying their appeal.

However their presence does mean a great threat and personal cost to the crews of the Endeavour and the Concord. Poor Captain Terrell; he doesn’t seem to fare well in either timeline.

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The variant covers of this book make it a great collectible. There seems to be a focus on Hikaru Sulu this issue as he features prominently on three of the four variants.

  • The regular cover by George Caltsoudas is a typical cover format; we see a centrally featured character superimposed over a stylistic background. The explosive pattern is dynamic and suggests a resolute determination to Sulu and an importance that normally wouldn’t be associated with a supportive character. Of course, with the unfolding of events in this story, it is appropriate and matches the mood of this particular book.
  • The subscription cover by Tony Shasteen is certainly my favourite. Of course, this is an excerpt form a larger montage of the characters with their duty orders in the background. This one is of Commander Spock and Shasteen does a wonderful job of representing the likeness of Zachary Quinto in the foreground.
  • The third is a retailer incentive cover and features a photographed lay-out of John Cho and a background featuring the swarm vessels from Star Trek Beyond. Probably my least-liked, but again it is an appropriate one given the nature of the significance Sulu plays in this story.
  • Finally, the fourth cover is another paper doll by Marc Laming of, once more, Hikaru Sulu. This doll includes alternative clothing and accouterments like the regular duty uniform blouse, the encounter jacket, the pressure suit, a hand phaser, the sectional katana blade we saw in the 2009 Star Trek film and even a photograph of Sulu’s husband and child. This final addition to the doll’s components is a particular poignant one and actually serves as a thought counterpoint to the usual whimsical nature of this type of doll.

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Whatever the form that Trek takes, it’s the duty of fans to assimilate those changes and learn to either appreciate them for their worth, or simply just accept them. When all is said and done, whatever sense of ownership Trek fans feel for their fandom, it isn’t theirs. If they want to have some sort of say in the story, then work within the established system and create something that can be added to the tapestry as other creators have done.

I’ve said this elsewhere before, but these stories have a life of their own; they grow and develop as organically as we do. But for us, with growth comes age, and with age comes the reluctance to accept change. Our mindsets find rigidity and we tend to stay with what we like.

Trek fans are not immune to this process but if a publisher like IDW that has repeatedly demonstrated its respect for the franchise time and time again can work to expand the universe of the Kelvin Timeline, then as fans, it is our duty to accept these changes and enjoy them for what they represent. If it isn’t your cup of tea, then there is thankfully, an entire other universe to enjoy.

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But Shasteen and Johnson have embraced this new universe in Star Trek: Boldly Go #2 – and have done it due justice by painstakingly crafting worthy plots, exceptional art and new dimensions for fans to explore.

Consider me a new and appreciative explorer and I hope you’ll join me on this new voyage as well.

Review — STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES Blu-ray

Almost ten years to the day after Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted on DVD in November 2006, the first Trek sequel series arrives this Tuesday on Blu-ray; the first standalone high-definition release of this show.

While these HD masters first became available through September’s Star Trek 50th Anniversary Blu-ray collection, this month’s three-disc set is the release we know many of you have been waiting for, since it’s available at a significantly lower price point than that big box set.

Portions of this review originally appeared in our 50th Anniversary Box Set review.

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This set carries over all the text and audio commentaries from the 2006 DVD release of The Animated Series, as well as the interview features – but aside from the 1080p presentation of the animated episodes, there is no new bonus material on the TAS discs at all, a somewhat disappointing discovery.

If you’ve seen the HD version of “More Tribbles, More Troubles” on the TOS Season 2 Blu-ray, it’s a solid indicator of the quality of this set’s TAS presentation. Things are a little sharper, and film grain is more prominent, but to be honest, there’s really not much improvement that can be made from Filmation’s somewhat under-detailed animation (see our sample screencaps below).

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TAS is a little crisper thanks to the added pixel information, but not much more has changed.

We were hoping for perhaps a new interview documentary feature, a new commentary or two, or at least a nicer copy of the 1970’s environmental awareness TV spot featuring the animated crew, but alas, none of that is included here.

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The new high-definition menu on the Animated Series discs.

Unlike the discs included with the 50th Anniversary box set, this collection returns to CBS/Paramount’s typical blue discs, with just title and episode listings on each label; along with an episode listing on the inside cover of the disc case.

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Along with the Blu-ray discs, this set also includes a set of twenty-two art cards by longtime Trek artist Juan Ortiz. They’re packaged inside the outer slipcase in their own special black envelope.

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These art cards are printed on high-quality, glossy paper, and each of Ortiz’s 2013 designs are accounted for.

While not everyone may be a fan of Ortiz’s designs, it’s not hard to see that The Animated Series is an almost perfect match for his style of artwork.

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We’ve been rolling out our episode-by-episode gallery of Animated Series Blu-ray screencaps for the past few weeks, and there’s more yet to come – and you can see more sample caps down below on this page.

This Blu-ray edition of Star Trek: The Animated Series arrives in stores this Tuesday – so if it’s on your shopping list, we’d love it if you order links below.

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'The Animated Series'
on DVD


'The Animated Series'
on Blu-ray

'The Official Guide to
The Animated Series'

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